as in guards
to walk or go around or through (an area, building, etc.) especially in order to make sure that it is safe
The squad had orders to patrol the area. The border is patrolled by the army.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patrols
Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 3 Jan. 2026
Fletcher said his agency patrols six cities that contract with the county, and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could eventually show up in one of them — like Arden Hills, Little Canada or Vadnais Heights.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 3 Dec. 2025
The agency patrols 6,000 miles of international border between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2025
Boston Dynamics markets its robots as a tool for hazardous inspections, industrial automation, site mapping and disaster response; the Asylon add-ons focus on making the dog more like an uncanny security camera that patrols and weighs more than 70 pounds.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The Cambridgeshire Police, which patrols the area, arrested two people at the scene in connection with the incident, authorities said.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
The city is also home to the 3rd Fleet, which patrols 50 million square miles of the Pacific.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025
The country’s navy, which is responsible for the protection of these surfing areas, hardly patrols.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
Carter has to hide behind pieces of waist-high cover and move around Simms, who patrols the corridors of the ship, to try and make it to his destination.
—Echo Apsey, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
The ship — homeported in Newport Harbor — typically patrols coastal waters from the Mexican border to the Channel Islands.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for patrols
Noun
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Kochab is the brighter of the two outer stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper (the other being Pherkad), which seem to march in a circle like sentries around Polaris, the North Star.—
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The pair later designed pieces for various regiments of the Royal Guards, the sentries protecting Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace in London.—
Verb
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Forward Condron and guards Ma, Smith, Maxie and Rose are on the court an average of at least 29 minutes a game this season.—
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Bechard also guards the opposing team’s top scorer, regardless of that player’s physical makeup.—
Noun
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According to the organization's strike map on its website, there are no strikes or pickets planned in Michigan.—
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Baristas at Starbucks cafes across the country are holding pickets this week as part of a collective push for a union contract, and Phoenix workers are joining in.—
Verb
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The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined in a federal whistleblower investigation that Balkan Express LLC violated the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, which protects commercial motor vehicle safety complaints, according to the release.—
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Regular sweeping protects floors by removing gritty debris that can scratch and damage finishes.—
Noun
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The money would find its way to China, Russia, Nigeria, and other far-off outposts.—
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The pastry’s stature in the city was further boosted this year with the arrival of Juici Patties, a beloved Jamaican chain that opened outposts in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens.—
Noun
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The Israeli military has amassed two major groups of armored vehicles in Sheikh Radwan, to the north of Gaza City, according to the imagery, with additional detachments of armored vehicles stationed along roads that lead toward Israel.—
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Although the much smaller Michino’o/Togitsu metal foundry detachments could not compete with the Ōhashi unit in terms of sheer noise and numbers, these girls were in high spirits this fine and yet‑too‑hot hot morning.—
Noun
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United States weather alerts The interactive map below shows all of the weather alerts (warnings, watches and advisories) currently in effect from the National Weather Service.—
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The four watches interpret works that span artistic movements from Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism.—
Cite this Entry
“Patrols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patrols. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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